According to Stats Canada, 2.7 million Canadians suffer from migraine headaches. Of that number, approximately 370,000 of them are considered to be chronic migraine sufferers. As anyone who has ever experienced these severe headaches can tell you, migraines affect every aspect of your life, from work ability to educational opportunities, to family relationships.
Migraines are caused by a combination of factors that includes a genetic predisposition for developing migraine headaches, stress, food triggers, environmental triggers, hormonal changes, and sleep disturbances.
Until recently, treatment of migraines has always focused on pain medication to reduce pain when an attack occurs; however, Botox® injections now offer chronic migraine sufferers the opportunity to reduce the frequency, duration, and severity of their headaches.
patients who experience headaches last more than four hours for at least
fifteen days of every month are considered to be chronic migraine sufferers. According to Health Canada guidelines,
these patients are eligible for Botox® injection therapy.
is derived from a naturally occurring toxin called botulism. It is found when
food spoils and, if ingested, can lead to paralysis. Botox®, a much diluted
version of the toxin, is injected directly into the muscle, not the
bloodstream, and it acts to gently hinder muscle activity. You may have heard
about Botox® because of its ubiquitous use in Hollywood as a method of reducing
wrinkles, but it has also been in use for many years as a treatment for facial
tics, repetitive neck spasms, excessive sweating, overactive bladder, and some
causes of crossed eyes. It has also proved effective as a treatment for
reducing the number, intensity, and duration of migraine headaches.
at pain care clinics will work with you to assess your condition and formulate
a treatment plan. Usually, Botox® treatments are administered during over a
fifteen-month period, with injections occurring once every three months. Multiple
doses of the medicine are injected at points along the bridge of the nose, the
temples, the forehead, the neck, the
upper back, and the back of the head. Each administration of the treatment
takes from 10–15 minutes, and causes only slight discomfort. The average dose
is 100–200 units.
can take up to two weeks for the injections to have any effect, and some
patients don’t see any improvement until after the second or third set of
your doctor if you qualify for Botox® treatments.